Overview

The American economy expanded at an annualised quarter-on-quarter rate of 3.2% in the three months to December, up from a 2.6% expansion in the third quarter.

An early estimate put euro-area inflation at 2.4% in January, up from 2.2% a month earlier.

Germany's unemployment rate fell to 7.4% in January from 7.5% in December. After seasonal adjustment, the number of people out of work fell by 19,000 in January after falling by 9,000 the previous month.

India's exports rose by 36.4% in the year to December. Imports declined by 11.1%, their first year-on-year fall since March. The country's trade deficit shrank sharply, to $2.6 billion in December from $11.8 billion a year earlier.

In Taiwan, GDP growth slowed to 6.5% in the year to the fourth quarter from the previous quarter's blistering 9.8%.

Brazilian industrial growth declined to 2.7% in the year to December from 5.3% in the 12 months to November. Output shrank by 0.7% month-on-month in December.

Russia's central bank left interest rates unchanged but raised banks' reserve requirements in its monthly policy meeting on January 31st.

In Indonesia, inflation quickened to a 21-month high of 7% in January. Exports rose by 26% in December from a year earlier.